NEIGHBOURS are furious with Hammersmith and Fulham Council for pushing through plans to allow 77ft-long lorries to use residential roads day and night as a main thoroughfare to the Earls Court development.

At a cabinet meeting on January 6, Conservative councillors unanimously agreed plans for articulated lorries to access the Lillie Road London Underground Depot via Beaumont Avenue, with emergency access from Aisgill Avenue. It is estimated they will use the road six to nine times a day.

The depot stretches along the perimeter of the West Kensington Estate and residents fear their quiet streets will be turned into the main delivery route for what will be Europe’s biggest building site. In addition, 99ft-long lorries will need access to the site about four times a year and there will be 60 parking spaces at the depot for transit vans needing access throughout the day.

Campaigner Larry Culhane called for a rethink at the next full council meeting on Wednesday

He said: “The Conservative administration has developed a worrying reputation of putting the interests of property developers first and ignoring residents, but I don’t think anyone ever thought they would behave quite so badly. Residents deserve better and I’m asking the council leader to ensure that this plan is halted.”

Mr Culhane wants the council to accept that consulting with developers CapCo on the decision but not with residents was a mistake, and that the decision should be overturned, and a new route and plan devised. North End Labour councillor, Daryl Brown, also called for an official vote at the meeting for a rethink.

“For this to happen, these lorries must be allowed on our roads so that the work is done as quickly as possible, however, Aisgill Avenue will be for emergency access only. If we want to talk about problems with lorries on our roads, then we need look no further than the super sewer.

“If that project goes ahead, 29,000 extra lorry journeys would be made through H&F each year – far more than at Earls Court – and all to build a tunnel that would be a blight on the borough, cause traffic chaos and provide no real benefit to local people whatsoever.”